Flexible display device and data displaying method thereof

ABSTRACT

A flexible display device and a data displaying method thereof are disclosed. The device includes a touch sensor to generate touch events according to touch actions, a flexible sensor to generate a bend signal as one side of the device is bent, a storage unit to store a function table, and a controller to control the components of the device. The function table is configured to define control operations to reproduce currently output contents based on the touch events and the bend events.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/632,243, filed on Dec. 7, 2009 and claims priority from and thebenefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2008-0123738, filed on Dec.8, 2008, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference for allpurposes as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a flexibledisplay technology, and in particular, to providing data display of aflexible display device associated with various input systems utilizinga flexible sensor and a touch sensor system.

2. Description of the Background

Portable terminals are widely used because they can be carried easily.Conventional portable terminals may have a reproducing function, such asan MP3 player function and an image collecting function (e.g., a digitalcamera). Portable terminals can also support mobile games and/or arcadegames.

Portable terminals may execute the functions through displays.Conventional displays of portable terminals may be small and spatialarrangements in the portable terminals may be limited due to theavailable size. Accordingly, portable terminals have started to employ adisplay that can be flexible. Such displays may be referred to asflexible displays. Conventional devices with flexible displays may bereferred to as flexible display devices. The flexible display devicesmay receive signals by a simple signal input, and display data stored inthe storage unit on the flexible display. A variety of applications maybe required to use the flexible display feature.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a flexibledisplay device capable of displaying various types of display modes inresponse to input signals that can be defined based on a flexibledisplay feature, and various data displaying flexible display device.

Additional features of the invention will be set forth in thedescription which follows, and in part will be apparent from thedescription, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention disclose a deviceincluding a touch sensor to detect a touch event. The device alsoincludes a flexible sensor to detect a bend event. The device includes astorage unit to store a function table. The function table includes acommand to define function of the device according to the touch eventand the bend event. The device further includes a controller toreproduce, by referring to the function table, contents stored in thestorage unit, according to the touch event and the bend event. Thedevice includes a display unit to display the reproduced contents.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention also disclose a methodfor displaying data for a flexible display device. The method includesdetecting a touch event. The method also includes reproducing anddisplaying contents on a device according to the detected touch event.The method includes detecting a bend event corresponding to bending ofthe device. The method further includes loading, in response to the bendevent, a function table comprising commands that define functionsassociated with the touch event and the bend event. And the methodincludes reproducing the contents according to the commands provided bythe function table.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and areintended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of theinvention, and together with the description serve to explain theprinciples of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a flexible display deviceaccording to exemplary embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 2 is detailed view illustrating the controller of FIG. 1, accordingto exemplary embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6 are diagrams of a flexible displaydevice for supporting various data displaying modes associated withoperating a flexible display device, according to exemplary embodimentsof the invention.

FIG. 7A, FIG. 7B, FIG. 7C, FIG. 8A, FIG. 8B, FIG. 9, FIG. 10A, FIG. 10B,FIG. 10C, and FIG. 10D are diagrams of a flexible display device forsupporting various data displaying modes associated with operating aflexible display device that supports a page turning function, accordingto exemplary embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a flexible display device according toexemplary embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 12A and FIG. 12B are diagrams of a flexible display device capableof supporting enlargement and reduction functions, according toexemplary embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 13 is a flow chart that describing a method for displaying data ina flexible display device, according to exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

The invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the inventionare shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many differentforms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplaryembodiments set forth herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments areprovided so that this disclosure is thorough, and will fully convey thescope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, thesize and relative sizes of layers and regions may be exaggerated forclarity. Like reference numerals in the drawings denote like elements.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention aredescribed in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a flexible display device,according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the flexible display device 100 includes aninterface unit 110, a power supply 120, a display unit 130, a touchsensor 140, a flexible sensor 150, a storage unit 170, and a controller160.

By way of example, the flexible display device 100 can be any type ofmobile stations, such as handsets, terminals, stations, units, devices,or any type of interface to the user (such as “wearable” circuitry,etc.). The flexible display device 100 can operate the touch sensor 140and flexible sensor 150 and may detect a bend event where a touch eventoccurs at one side of the display unit 130 if the flexible displaydevice 100 is bent at more than a determined angle. If the touch eventand the bend event occur simultaneously, the flexible display device 100can generate an input signal and can simultaneously output a content 177from the storage unit 170 according to the generated input signal. If atouch event additionally occurs in a state where the bend event hasoccurred, the flexible display device 100 can change and display thecontent 177 that is currently being displayed on the display unit 130.

In the following description, the configuration of each element in theflexible display device 100 is explained in detail.

The interface unit 110 may allow the flexible display device 100 tocommunicate with other communication terminals. If the flexible displaydevice 100 serves to support Radio Frequency (RF) communication, theinterface unit 110 may be an RF communication unit. If the device 100serves to support serial communication, the interface unit 110 may be aUniversal Serial Bus (USB) interface or a Universal AsynchronousReceiver/Transmitter (UART) interface. The interface unit 110establishes a communication channel with other communication terminals,mobile communication networks or Internet networks, and receivescontents 117 through the communication channel.

The power supply 120 may supply electrical power to each element in theflexible display device 100 under the control of the controller 160. Thepower supply 120 can be implemented with a battery or a secondarybattery.

The display unit 130 may display screens that can be activated accordingto the function of the flexible display device 100. For example, screensfor a booting process, an idle state, and a menu may be activatedaccording to the contents 177. The display unit 130 may be implementedwith a display, a flexible liquid crystal display (FLCD), and/or aflexible organic light emitting diode (flexible OLED). The display unit130 may display data using electronic ink. The display unit 130 caninclude a panel driving unit, a frame memory for storing data, and adisplay device. The display unit 130 may be bent in a certain portion byan external physical force.

The touch sensor 140 can be coupled to the front of the display unit130. The touch sensor 140 can detect touches on the display unit 130using an input device, for example the user's finger or a stylus pen.The touch sensor 140 can generate touch events based on the detectedtouches. In particular, the touch sensor 140 may include multiplesensors distributed and arranged, for example, in a matrix format tosupport multi-touch events. Since the touch sensor 140 can be installedin the front of the display unit 130, the touch sensor 140 may be bentat a certain angle if the display unit 130 is bent. The touch sensor 140may generate a touch event and may output a touch signal correspondingto the touch event to the controller 160. The touch event may includeinformation associated with touches, such as a touch down, a touch up, adrag, a flick, and/or information regarding a touch location where acorresponding touch has occurred.

The flexible sensor 150 can be implemented in such a way that members,such as optical fibers, that can perform the transmission of signals arecoated on the front of the display unit 130. The flexible sensor 150 maydetect a flexible operation of the optical fibers caused by the bendingof the display unit 130. The flexible sensor 150 may include a pluralityof sensors, and may be configured to detect a bend event at a bendlocation at any region, for example, a front region, of the display unit130. Therefore, if the display unit 130 is bent at a certain portion(i.e., bend location), the flexible sensor 150 can generate a bendsignal corresponding to a bend event and the bending angle. Thegenerated bend signal can be transmitted to the controller 160. The bendevent may refer to a bending of the display unit 130, and a bend signalmay include information associated with a bend direction, a bend angle,a bend area, and the bend location.

The storage unit 170 can store application programs required to operatethe flexible display device 100 and contents 177 received from otherexternal systems, for example, communication terminals, and servers. Thestorage unit 170 may include a program area and a data area.

The program area can store an operation system (OS) for booting theflexible display device 100 and application programs for supportingmultiple functions. Examples of the functions include a call function, afile reproducing function, a menu selecting function, a list searchingfunction, a message writing function, and a web browser for supporting aweb surfing function. The program area can also store a program foroperating the touch sensor 140 and a program for operating the flexiblesensor 150. The touch sensor operation program (Touch Sensor OP) 173 andthe flexible sensor operating program (Flexible Sensor OP) 175 may beselectively enabled according to a preset condition when the flexibledisplay device 100 is activated.

The data area can store data generated as the device 100 is beingoperated and user data related to a variety of optional functions.Examples of the user data include captured images or moving images,phone book data, audio data, and information regarding user data. Thedata area can store a plurality of contents 177 received, via theinterface unit 110, from external systems or other communicationterminals. The contents 177 may be images, texts, file information,and/or, for example, pages of a book. The data area stores a functiontable 171. The function table 171 refers to a table that definesoperation states of the flexible display device 100. The operationstates can be defined according to the touch event and the bend event.For example, the function table 171 may contain commands to outputcontents 177 or commands to output contents according to a preset methodwhen the flexible sensor 150 outputs a bend event if one side of acorner of the display unit 130 is bent.

The controller 160 may control an electrical power supply, and enablingor disenabling of each element in the flexible display device 100. Thecontroller 160 also controls the signal flow among elements in theflexible display device 100. The controller 160 can selectively operatethe touch sensor 140 and the flexible sensor 150 according to a user'srequest and may perform functions according to the touch event and bendevent, transmitted, respectively, from the touch sensor 140 and theflexible sensor 150, by referring to the function table 171. Thecontroller 160 may include a sensor recognizing unit 161 and a functionapplying unit 163, as shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 2, the sensor recognizing unit 161 is configured todetect the touch event and the bend event from the touch sensor 140 andthe flexible sensor 150, respectively, and to output the touch signaland the bend signal to the function applying unit 163. The sensorrecognizing unit 161 can control a time at which the touch sensor 140and the flexible sensor 150 are activated. For example, the sensorrecognizing unit 161 can load the touch sensor operating program TouchSensor OP 173 from the storage unit 170 after the flexible displaydevice 100 is booted, and can initialize and activate the touch sensor140. The sensor recognizing unit 161 can activate the flexible sensor150 and can load the flexible sensor operating program Flexible SensorOP 175 from the storage unit 170 if a touch event has occurred at thetouch sensor 140. The sensor recognizing unit 161 can simultaneouslyinitialize and activate the touch sensor 140 and the flexible sensor150. When the display unit 130 is turned on, the sensor recognizing unit161 can load the touch sensor operating program Touch Sensor OP 173 andthe flexible sensor operating program Flexible Sensor OP 175 from thestorage unit 170, and can activate the touch sensor 140 and the flexiblesensor 150. If the display unit 130 is turned off or is operating in asleep mode, the sensor recognizing unit 161 can deactivate the touchsensor 140 and the flexible sensor 150 by controlling the electricalpower supplied to the touch sensor 140 and the flexible sensor 150.

The function applying unit 163 can receive a touch signal and a bendsignal from the sensor recognizing unit 161, respectively, and can loada function table 171 from the storage unit 170. The function applyingunit 163 can then control an activated application program by referringto the function table 171. The function applying unit 163 may controlthe display unit 130 to output the contents 177 from the storage unit170 according to the touch signal and the bend signal. That is, thefunction applying unit 163 may provide a proper display environment sothat the user can easily and rapidly view the contents 177 that arebeing displayed on the display unit 130. The function applying unit 163may change the output contents 177 according to the generated touchsignal and the generated bend signal. The function applying unit 163 canalso control output of contents 177. In addition, the function applyingunit 163 can control the settings for the output contents 177 accordingto the input touch event and the input bend event.

As described above, the flexible display device 100 may control outputsand modifications of contents displayed on the display unit 130,according to a touch signal and a bend signal generated by the touchsensor 140 and flexible sensor 150, respectively, thereby allowing theuser to smoothly search for information.

FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6 are diagrams of a flexible displaydevice 100 supporting various data displaying modes associated withoperating a flexible display device by bending the corner, according toexemplary embodiments of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, a user may hold both sides of the display unit 130of the flexible display device 100 as shown in still shot 201. Thethumbs of both hands may touch both sides of the display unit 130. Thetouch sensors can detect touch events generated by both thumbs and canthen output the touch signals to the controller 160. If the controller160 determines that a touch event has occurred, the controller 160 maycontrol the display unit 130 to display a preset content.

As shown in still shot 203, the user may bend a corner A0 at the upperright of the device 100, at a certain angle, using the right indexfinger, while the user is holding the device 100 with both hands. Thetouch sensor 140 of the device 100 may detect the touch events generatedat both sides of the device 100, and may send corresponding touchsignals to the controller 160. Simultaneously, the flexible sensor 150may generate a bend event at the corner A0 at the upper right of thedevice 100. The corner A0 may be bent at various angles, and may bebent, for example, at more than a determined angle. When the corner A0at the upper right portion of the device 100 is bent, the display unit130 may output a corresponding portion of a page currently beingdisplayed on the bent corner A0. The controller 160 may also activatethe flexible sensor 150 before or when the touch sensor generates atouch signal.

When the controller 160 receives a touch signal and a bend signal fromthe touch sensor 140 and the flexible sensor 150, respectively, thecontroller 160 may control the display unit 130 to display a foldedimage B0 at the upper right corner A0 of the device 100 where the bendevent has occurred, as shown in still shot 205. That is, the controller160 may load the function table 171 from the storage unit 170, and mayoutput a folded image B0 according to the bend event and touch eventdetected at the corner A0. The controller 160 can change the property ofthe content on which the folded image B0 is displayed. That is, thecontroller 160 may recognize the content currently being output as auser's bookmark, and may thus perform a control operation so thatproperty information can be described in the file information of thecontent. When a touch event occurs on the folded image B0, thecontroller 160 may display a list of contents having a bookmark propertyon the display unit 130.

Although the touch events can be generated when a user touches bothsides of the device 100, it should be understood that the invention isnot limited thereto. For example, the functions of displaying the foldedimage B0 and of changing the property of content file informationaccording to the display of the folded image B0 can be performedaccording to a touch event. The functions can be executed by a touchevent generated at a first location on the device 100, and a bend eventgenerated at a bend location, as the function table is established or auser's function table is changed. The touch sensor can be initialized inan area where a menu image B1 is output, instead of initializing all thetouch sensors in the device 100.

Referring to FIG. 4, initially, a user may hold both sides of thedisplay unit 130 of the flexible display device 100 as shown in stillshot 211. The touch sensors 140 may detect touch events by one or boththumbs and may then output corresponding touch signals to the controller160. If the controller 160 determines that the touch events haveoccurred, the controller 160 may control the display unit 130 to displaya preset content. For example, the controller 160 may control thedisplay unit 130 to display pages corresponding to a book of thecontents 177 stored in the storage unit 170. The controller 160 mayactivate the flexible sensor 150 before or when the touch sensor 140generates the touch signal.

As shown in still shot 213 of FIG. 4, the user may bend a corner A1 atthe lower right of the device 100, at a certain angle, using the righthand, while the user is holding the left side of the device 100 with theleft hand. The touch sensor 140 of the device 100 may output, to thecontroller, the touch signal generated at the left side of the device100. Simultaneously, the flexible sensor 150 may generate a bend signalat the corner A1. The device 100 may be bent at various angles, and maybe bent more than a determined angle. When the corner A1 at the lowerright of the device 100 is bent, the display unit 130 may output, forexample, a corresponding portion of a page currently being displayed onthe bent lower right corner A1.

When the controller 160 receives a touch signal and a bend signal fromthe touch sensor 140 and the flexible sensor 150, respectively, thecontroller 160 may load a function table 171 from the storage unit 170,and may control the display unit 130 to display a menu image B1 at thelower right corner A1 of the device 100 according to the bend event thatoccurred at the lower right corner A1 and the touch event that occurredat the left side of the device. For example, as shown in still shot 215,the menu image B1 may be displayed on the lower right corner A1 wherethe bend event has occurred. The controller 160 can initialize touchsensors 140 in the lower right corner A1 so that the menu image B1 canbe appropriately output. That is, the controller 160 may perform aninitialization so that touch events can occur on the items contained inthe menu image B1.

Although the menu image B1 is output on the lower right corner A1 of thedevice 100, it should be understood that exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention are not limited thereto. For example, the menu imageB1 can be displayed on a center portion of the display unit 130, or onanother region of the display unit 130 where a touch event continues tooccur, so that the user can easily perform a touch action on the displayunit 130.

Referring to FIG. 5, a user may hold both sides of the display unit 130of the flexible display device 100 as shown in still shot 221. The touchsensors 140 may detect touch events by both thumbs and then outputcorresponding touch signals to the controller 160. If the controller 160determines that the touch events have occurred, the controller 160 maycontrol the display unit 130 to display a preset content. For example,the controller 160 may control the display unit 130 to display one ofthe pages contained in a document file that is one of the contents 177stored in the storage unit 170. The controller 160 may activate theflexible sensor 150 before or when the touch sensor 140 generates atouch signal.

As shown in still shot 223, the user may bend a corner A2 at the upperleft of the device 100 at a certain angle, using the left index finger,while the user is holding the device 100 with both hands. The touchsensor 140 of the device 100 may continue to output, to the controller160, the touch signals generated as both hands hold both sides of thedisplay unit 130. The activated flexible sensor 150 may detect a bendevent as the lower left cornet A2 is bent over a certain angle, and mayoutput the generated bend signal to the controller 160. As the upperleft corner A2 of the device 100 is bent, the display unit 130 maydisplays the page currently being output on the bent lower left cornerA2. The controller 160 may activate the flexible sensor 150 before orwhen the touch sensor 140 generates a touch signal.

When the controller 160 receives a touch signal and a bend signal fromthe touch sensor 140 and a flexible sensor 150, respectively, thecontroller 160 may load a function table 171 from the storage unit 170.The controller 160 may display a slide view image B2 based on the bendevent detected at the upper left corner A2 and the touch event detectedat both sides of the display unit 130. Therefore, as shown in still shot225, the controller 160 may display the slide view image B2 on the leftside where the bend event has occurred. The controller 160 caninitialize touch sensors 140 on the left side of the display unit 130,thereby allowing the user to select other pages displayed on the leftside. The controller 160 may initialize the touch sensors 140 so thattouch events can be detected with respect to items contained in theslide view image B2.

Although the slide view image B2 is displayed on the left side,exemplary embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.For example, the slide view image B2 can be displayed on the centerportion of the display unit 130. In some cases, the slide view image B2can also be displayed on the right side or upper or lower margin area ofthe display unit 130, so that the user can easily perform a touch actionon the display unit 130. The controller 160 can partially initializetouch sensors 140 with respect to an area where the slide view image B2is displayed, instead of initializing all the touch sensors 140. Thearea where the slide view image B2 is displayed can be implemented tosupport various functions according to types of touch events detected bythe touch sensor 140, for example, a flick, drag, and double touches.

Referring to FIG. 6, a user may hold both sides of the display unit 130of the flexible display device 100 as shown in still shot 231. The touchsensors 140 may detect touch events by both thumbs and then output touchsignals to the controller 160. If the controller 160 determines that thetouch events have occurred, the controller 160 may control the displayunit 130 to display a preset content. For example, the controller 160may control the display unit 130 to display one of the contents 177stored in the storage unit 170. The controller 160 may activate theflexible sensor 150 before or when the touch sensor 140 generates atouch signal.

As shown in still shot 233, the user may bend a corner A3 at the lowerleft of the device 100, at a certain angle, using the left hand, whilethe user is holding the right side of the device 100 with the righthand. The touch sensor 140 of the device 100 may continue to output, tothe controller 160, the touch signals generated at the right side of thedevice 100. The flexible sensor 150 may generate a bend signal as thelower left corner A3 is bent over a certain angle. When the corner A3 atthe lower left of the device 100 is bent, the display unit 130 mayoutput a corresponding portion of a page currently being displayed onthe bent lower left corner A3.

When the controller 160 receives a touch signal and a bend signal fromthe touch sensor 140 and a flexible sensor 150, respectively, thecontroller 160 may load a function table 171 from the storage unit 170.The controller 160 may then display a multi view image B3 based on thebend event detected at the lower left corner A3 and the touch eventdetected at the right side of the display unit 130. Therefore, as shownin still shot 235, the controller 160 may display the multi view imageB3 on the left side (of the display unit 130) where the bend event hasbeen detected. The controller 160 can initialize touch sensors 140 onthe left side of the display unit 130, thereby allowing the user toselect other contents displayed on the left side of the display unit130. The controller 160 may initialize touch sensors 140 so that touchevents can be detected with respect to respective contents contained inthe multi view image B3.

Although the multi view image B3 is displayed on the left side, itshould be understood that exemplary embodiments of the present inventionare not limited thereto. For example, the multi view image B3 can bedisplayed in the center portion of the display unit 130. In some cases,the multi view image B3 can also be displayed in the right side or upperor lower margin area of the display unit 130, so that the user caneasily perform a touch action on the display unit 130. The controller160 can partially initialize touch sensors 140 with respect to an areawhere the multi view image B3 is displayed, instead of initializing allthe touch sensors 140. The area where the multi view image B3 isdisplayed can be implemented to support a variety of functions accordingto the touch events detected by the touch sensor 140, such as, forexample, a flick, a drag, and double touches. If other content, forexample, an audio file, is selected in the multi view image B3, thecontroller 160 may terminate the output of a current content and maystarts to output the selected audio file back.

FIG. 7A, FIG. 7B, FIG. 7C, FIG. 8A, FIG. 8B, FIG. 9, FIG. 10A, FIG. 10B,FIG. 10C, and FIG. 10D are diagrams of a flexible display device 100 forsupporting various data displays associated with operating a flexibledisplay device that supports a page turning function, according toexemplary embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7A, in state 71 a, the display unit 130 of theflexible display device 100 is not bent with respect to a central axisof the display unit 130. In state 73 a, the display unit 130 is bent anda touch event may be detected at both sides A and B. A content stored inthe storage unit 170 may be output on the display unit 130 according tothe detected touch event and a user's request. The content can be outputaccording to a touch event that is detected at one or both sides of thedisplay unit 130. If a touch event is detected, the flexible displaydevice 100 may activate a flexible sensor 150. In some cases, theflexible display device 100 can also activate the flexible sensor 150when activating the touch sensor 140.

Referring to FIG. 7B, in state 71 b, the right side of the display unit130 is bent more than the left side of the display unit 130 with respectto the center axis of the display unit 130. In state 73 b, the displayunit 130 is bent asymmetrically, and the flexible display device 100 mayperform a control operation where contents may be displayed on the sidethat is more bent than the side that is less bent. For example, theflexible display device 100 may receive a bend signal from flexiblesensors 150 as the display unit 130 is bent. The flexible display device100 may compare information regarding a bend angle associated with thebend event at the right side of the display unit 130, for example, withinformation regarding a bend angle associated with the bend event at theleft side of the display unit 130. The flexible display device 100 maydetermine that the bend angle of the right side is greater than that ofthe left side. The flexible display device 100 can then display contentson the right side with a certain interval between the contents.

Referring to FIG. 7C, as shown in state 71 c, the flexible displaydevice 100 can determine a width of the display unit 130 on whichcontents can be displayed, according to a touch event B and a bend angletransmitted from the right side. For example, as shown in FIG. 7B, thesmaller the bend angle of the right side in a state 71 b, the smallerthe display width displayed in the flexible display device 100 in astate 73 b. As shown in FIG. 7C, the larger the bend angle of the rightside in a state 71 c, the larger the display width in the flexibledisplay device 100 in a state 73 c.

As shown in states 75 c and 77 c, output of the contents can becontrolled according to touch events. For example, a touch event Bgenerated at the right side can be moved to a right margin along theright side of the display unit 130 according to a user's control, sothat the touch event B is moved to the right margin having a certainwidth within which other contents may be displayed. In response todetecting the touch event B, the display of the other contents in theright margin may be changed. For example, the other contents within theright margin may be browsed or viewed individually, or pages of a bookmay be turned from right to left.

FIG. 7A, FIG. 7B, and FIG. 7C can be explained using the example of abook. A book may be composed of a plurality of pages corresponding tomultiple leaves. Each leave can display a page. A user can hold both theleft side and the right side of the book using the user's hands. If theuser intends to turn over a leaf, the user can hold the right side ofthe book (i.e., allowing for the selection of the pages or leaves, usingthe right hand). The user can hold a side of the book in such a way thatthe thumb of the right hand may be located on the right side of the bookand the remaining four fingers are located on the rear right side of thebook. Accordingly, if the user applies a downward force on the book, theright side of the book may be bent so that the text in the book may betilted at a certain angle. A thumb pressing a particular leaf or pagemay correspond to a touch event being detected along a margin of thedisplay unit 130. The larger the bend, the larger a block width of thebook, as shown in states 73 b of FIGS. 7B and 73 c in FIG. 7C. A blockwidth may correspond to a region on the display unit 130 on which thepage margins, or portions of a page, of a book overlap, as shown in FIG.7A, FIG. 7B, and FIG. 7C.

As shown in FIG. 7C, if the thumb pressing the leaves is moved towardsthe right margin, the leaves may be tuned from right to left.

As described above, the flexible display device 100 can browse through aplurality of pages corresponding to the paper leaves of a book. Aflexible display device 100 may continue to detect touch events and todisplay a portion of other pages within a certain width according to thebend angle. If the user's touch is moved to the right margin, pagesreleased by the touch event may be turned from right to left, and acorresponding page may be output. A page on which a touch event has beendetected can continue to be displayed on the display unit 130. If thetouch event moves and releases the page being displayed, the releasedpage may be replaced with another page that retains the touch event.

Although pages are turned over as a touch event moves in the block widthof the pages, it should be understood that exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention are not limited thereto. For example, pages can beturned according to a change in the bend event while the touch event isfixed. The width of the block width may be determined according to thebend angle of the bend event. If, for example, the width of the blockwidth is increased as the bend angle is increased, the width of theblock width may become larger and pages may be turned until the page onwhich the touch event B is detected is displayed. Therefore, theflexible display device 100 may turn pages according to the detectionand release of the touch event B, thereby replacing a page with anotherpage retaining the touch event B.

Referring to FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B, the flexible display device 100 mayactivate touch sensors 140 and may display contents 177 (e.g. a page ofa book) stored in the storage unit 170 on the display unit 130 accordingto the user's request. When the page is displayed on the display unit130, the flexible display device 100 may activate a flexible sensor 150according to a preset condition.

The flexible display device 100 can detect touch events on the left sideA and the lower right side B of the display unit 130, and, in general,on any side of the display unit 130. The device 100 can display contentson the lower right side B of the display unit 130. A touch event and abend event may be detected on the contents and/or on the lower rightside B. That is, the device 100 can overlap pages at their corners andmargins to form the block width, as noted above. As shown in FIG. 8A,the device 100 may display the lower fore edge and bottom edge of thepages on the display unit 130, while the pages obliquely overlap.

When the touch event detected at the bottom edge B moves towards acorner of the display unit 130, the flexible display device 100 turnsthe pages (e.g., flips to the next page). It can be appreciated thatother suitable methods of turning pages may be used and that turningpages is not limited to moving the touch event towards the right side orthe lower side of the display unit 130.

Referring to FIG. 9, as described hereinabove, the flexible displaydevice 100 may activate touch sensors and may display contents stored inthe storage unit 170 on the display unit 130 according to a user'srequest. When a page retrieved from the storage unit 170 is displayed onthe display unit 130, the flexible display device 100 may activate aflexible sensor 150 according to a preset condition.

The controller 160 of the flexible display device 100 may detect, viathe flexible sensor 150, a bend event if the right side of the displayunit 130 is bent at a certain angle. The bend event may be caused by aphysical force that the user applies to the right side. When a bendevent occurs as shown in a state 91, the controller 160 can determinethat the bend event has occurred asymmetrically at the right side withrespect to the central axis. Accordingly, the controller 160 may controlthe display unit 130 to display a portion of other pages on the rightside as shown in a state 93. If a page has a bookmark, the controller160 can display the bookmark on a certain area. More specifically, if anasymmetrical bend event has been detected, the controller 160 mayidentify file information regarding contents 177 stored in the storageunit 170, and may check whether the user has already set a book mark inthe contents. If the controller 160 determines that a page is set as abookmark, the display unit 130 may show a portion of the pages accordingto the detection of the asymmetrical bend event, and may simultaneouslydisplay the page having the bookmark so that the page with the bookmarkcan be distinguished from other pages. For example, as shown in a state93, the controller 160 may control the display unit 130 to display apage having a bookmark in such a way that the output area of the page isgreater than an output area of other pages or a portion of the outputarea of the page has a bookmark symbol M.

If a page has a bookmark, the controller 160, as shown in a state 95,can control a page turning function for the page with the bookmarkdiffering from that of other pages. For example, if a touch event ismoved and subsequently released from pages within a certain width of theblock width where a portion of pages are displayed, the display unit 130may display an image on pages released by the touch event from right toleft, as shown in FIG. 9, and may simultaneously display another pagesretaining the touch event on the display unit 130. The display unit 130may display images on pages for a certain time interval corresponding tothe time the touch event is released from each page. The controller 160may control the display unit 130 to display a page having a bookmark fora longer time interval than pages not having a bookmark. Therefore, theflexible display device 100 can turn the pages from right to left in acertain time interval, and in particular, can output, on the displayunit 130, a page having a bookmark for longer than other pages nothaving a bookmark.

In some cases, if a touch event is moved on a page, the page may not beturned and may continue to be displayed on the display unit 130. Forexample, while the page turning function is performed, pages can beturned over at a certain time interval. Although a touch event may bereleased from a page, if a touch event re-designates (e.g., reselects bydetection of a touch event) the page that is being displayed or beingturned over on the display unit 130, the controller 160 can stop turningthe page and may continue displaying the page. If a touch event, such asa drag touch or a flick, is detected, the display unit 130 mayre-display the designated page on the entire display unit 130 or mayremove a corresponding page from the display unit 130.

Although the page turning function is implemented in such away that atouch event is released from a corresponding page and an imagecorresponding to the page is moved at a certain time interval, exemplaryembodiments of the invention are not limited thereto. For example, thecontroller 160 may turn a page immediately after a touch event isreleased from the page.

Referring to FIG. 10A, in state 101 a, the display unit 130 of theflexible display device 100 is not bent with respect to the central axisof the flexible display device 100. In state 103 a, the display unit 130is bent and touch events may occur at one or both sides A and B. Acontent 177 stored in the storage unit 170 may be output on the displayunit 130, according to a user's request. The content 177 can be outputaccording to touch events that can be detected at one or both sides ofthe display unit 130. If a touch event is detected, the flexible displaydevice 100 may activate a flexible sensor 150. In some cases, theflexible display device 100 can also activate the flexible sensor 150when activating the touch sensor 140.

Referring to FIG. 10B, in state 101 b, the right side of the displayunit 130 is more bent than the left side of the display unit 130 withrespect to the center axis. When the display unit 130 is bentasymmetrically, the flexible display device 100 may perform a controloperation where at least some contents can be displayed on the side thatis more bent, as shown in a state 103 b. For example, the flexibledisplay device 100 may receive a bend signal from flexible sensors 150as the display unit 130 is bent and may compare information regarding abend angle of the right side with, for example, the bend angle of theleft side. The flexible display device 100 may determine whether thebend angle of the right side is greater than the bend angle of the leftside. If the flexible display device 100 determines that the bend angleof the right side is greater, the flexible display device 100 candisplay other contents on the right side of the display unit 130 with acertain interval between the contents. If a touch event A is retainedover a certain time period, the controller 160 may generate a lock barfor setting a current screen state. The lock bar may be displayed on theleft side (e.g., the side with the smaller bend angle) of the displayunit 130, as shown in a state 103 b. The lock bar may partially overlapa location where the touch event A is detected, so that the user caneasily operate an activation or deactivation of the lock bar. The lockbar can be removed from the display unit 130 if the touch event A isreleased.

Referring to FIG. 10C, if the user moves the touch event A and thus alock bar function is activated, the controller 160 may display an imagecorresponding to the activation of the lock bar function on one side,for example, above the lock bar or on one side of the content beingdisplayed.

Referring to FIG. 10D, although a bend event does not occur in theflexible display device 100 as shown in a state 101 d, the controller160 may display a portion of other pages on the right side according tothe lock bar function. As shown in state 103 d, the controller 160 mayalso display symbols B1, B2, and B3 indicating pages having a bookmarkin a certain area of the block width, thereby distinguishing betweenpages having a bookmark and other pages. Subsequently, if the usertouches one of the symbols B1, B2, and B3, the controller 160 maydisplay the page corresponding to the touched symbol.

FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a flexible display device 100 accordingto exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 11, in some cases, the display unit 130 of theflexible display device 100 can be folded with respect to the centeraxis. That is, the display unit 130 may include a first display unit anda second display unit that can be connected to each other with respectto the center axis. The first display unit can be supported by the lefthad and the right display unit can be supported by the right hand. Ifthe second display unit is bent at a certain angle, the controller 160may receive a bend signal from flexible sensors 150 and may perform apage turning function as described above, based on the bend event. Thecontroller 160 may perform a page turning function by moving the pagefrom the second display unit to the first display unit.

FIG. 12A and FIG. 12B are diagrams of a flexible display device 100capable of supporting enlargement and reduction functions, according toexemplary embodiments of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 12A and FIG. 12B, in some cases, the flexible displaydevice 100 may be bent in a sinusoidal waveform. The flexible sensors150 may generate first and second bend signals based on bend eventscorresponding to different directions. The bend signals may be output tothe controller 160. For example, the first bend signal may containinformation that represents a bend where, for example, the left (orright) side of the display unit 130 with respect to the center axis ofdevice 100 is bent upward. The second bend signal may containinformation that represents a bend where the left (or right) side of thedisplay unit 130 with respect to the center axis of device 100 is bentdownward. When the controller 160 receives a plurality of bend signalshaving direction values differ from each other, the controller mayenlarge or reduce a size of contents located in areas where bend eventshave occurred, respectively, and may then display the re-sized contents.

Referring to FIG. 12A, if the left side of the display unit 130 withrespect to the center axis is bent upwards and the right side is bentdownwards, the flexible sensors 150 may generate first and second bendsignals indicating bend directions that differ from each other, and mayoutput the bend signals to the controller 160. Additionally, the touchsensors 140 may also output, to the controller 160, informationregarding locations on the display unit 130 that the user's fingerstouched. The controller 160 may enlarge and display a content located onthe left side of the display unit 130, according to the received touchsignals and bend signals. For example, the controller 160 may zoom in onthe content located at the left side of the display unit 130, and mayenlarge and display the content. The controller may also simultaneouslyreduce and display a content located on the right side of the displayunit 130. For example, the controller 160 may zoom out of the contentlocated at the right side of the display unit 130, and may reduce anddisplay the content.

Referring to FIG. 12B, if the left side of the display unit 130 withrespect to the center axis is bent downwards and the right side of thedisplay unit 130 is bent upwards, the flexible sensors 150 can generatefirst and second bend signals indicating bend directions that differfrom each other, and may output the bend signals to the controller 160.Additionally, the touch sensors 140 may also output information, to thecontroller 160, regarding locations on the display unit 130 that theuser's fingers touched. The controller 160 may then reduce and display acontent located on the left side of the display unit 130, according tothe received touch signals and bend signals. For example, the controller160 may zoom out of the content located at the left side of the displayunit 130, and may reduce and display the content. Simultaneously, thecontroller 160 may enlarge and display a content located at the rightside of the display unit 130. For example, the controller 160 may zoomin on the content located at the right side of the display unit 130, andmay enlarge and display the content.

As described above, two bend events whose bend directions differ fromone another may be detected at the right and left sides of the displayunit 130 with respect to the center axis. However, exemplary embodimentsof the invention are not limited thereto. For example, the display unit130 may be divided equally in three portions, so that both side portionsare symmetrically bent in the same direction with respect to the centerportion, and the center portion may be bent in an opposite direction tothe bend direction of both side portions. The flexible sensors 150 maygenerate and output three bend signals to the controller 160. When thecontroller 160 receives the three bend signals, the controller 160 mayreduce and display a content located at the portion(s) of the displayunit 130 that is bent downwards. Simultaneously, the controller 160 mayenlarge and display a content located in the portion(s) of the displayunit 130 that is bent upwards.

In the foregoing description, exemplary embodiments have been describedregarding the operations of the flexible display device 100 based on thetouch events and bend events detected by the touch sensors and bendsensors, respectively. A method for displaying data in the flexibledisplay device 100 is explained in detail with reference to FIG. 13.

FIG. 13 is a flow chart describing a method for displaying data in aflexible display device 100 according to exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention.

Referring to FIG. 13, when the flexible display device 100 is turned on,the controller 160 may perform multiple processes including a bootingprocess, may output a is standby screen on the display unit 130, and mayactivate the touch sensors 140 to detect touch events (101).

Subsequently, the controller 160 may detect whether a touch event isdetected (103). If the controller 160 determines that a touch event isnot detected, the controller 160 may retains the activation state of thetouch sensor 140.

If the controller 160 determines that a touch event is detected at step103, the controller 160 may receive a touch signal from the touchsensors 140, execute a function according to the touch signal, and mayactivate the flexible sensors (105). In some cases, the controller 160may activate the flexible sensors 150 when the controller 160 activatesthe touch sensor at step 101.

The controller 160 may then determine whether a bend is detected (107).If the controller 160 determines that a bend is not detected at step107, the controller 160 may retain the activation state of the flexiblesensors 150 and may execute a function according to the touch signal. Ifthe controller 160 determines that a bend is detected at step 107, thecontroller 160 may receive a bend signal from the flexible sensors 150,and load a function table from the storage unit 170 (109). The functiontable may be a table that describes functions to be executed accordingto detected touch events and bend events.

The controller 160 may execute a function based on the detected touchevents and bend events by referring to the function table (111). Forexample, if the controller 160 receives a bend signal corresponding to acorner bending operation, the controller 160 may execute a functionrelated to bending of a corner of the display unit 130, such as, forexample, a folding function, a menu function, a slide view function, anda multi view function. The folding function can be performed in such away that the controller 160 may apply a folded image to a content beingdisplayed on the display unit 130, and display the folded image on thedisplay unit 130. The folding function may refer to a function in whicha content property, for example, a bookmark property, is added to thecontent being displayed on the display unit 130. In the menu function,the controller 160 may initialize touch sensors 140 in an area where amenu image is displayed, and may activate items therein for beingselected. The menu function may allow menu images to be displayed anditems in the menu images to be executed. In the slide view function, thecontroller 160 may initialize the touch sensors 140 in an area of thedisplay unit 130 so that other slides of a currently output content canbe output in a certain size on one side of the display unit 130.Accordingly, the user can select a corresponding slide image. In themulti view function, the controller 160 may initialize the touch sensors140 so that images corresponding to the other (non-displayed) contentsstored in the storage unit 170, can be displayed on one side of thedisplay unit 130 and a user can activate images in the display unit 130.

The controller 160 may determine whether an asymmetrical bend event isdetected with respect to the center of the display unit 130. When thecontroller 160 determines that an asymmetrical bend event is detected,the controller may execute a page turning function. The page turningfunction may allow a user to open a plurality of pages. The page turningfunction can provide display of portions of other (not currentlydisplayed) pages in a block width on one side of the display unit 130.The width of the block width may be increased or decreased according tothe bend angle. When portions of pages are displayed at a certain timeinterval, the time interval can be adjusted according to the width ofthe block width. For example, if the width of the block width isincreased, the time interval may also increase. By contrast, if thewidth of the block width is decreased, the time interval may bedecreased. If a touch event occurs within the block width, thecontroller 160 may turn touch event-released pages in a predetermineddirection, and may simultaneously display pages that retain the touchevent. If the touch event is detected and subsequently released by theuser in display areas of a plurality of pages, the controller 160 mayremove the touch event-released pages in a certain direction at acertain time interval. If a page has a bookmark, the controller 160 mayadd an image or mark to the page to differentiate the page from otherpages. In some cases, the controller 160 may increase the ratio of adisplay area within the block width of the page having a bookmark to adisplay area within the block width of pages without a bookmark. If atouch event occurs and is then released, the controller 160 may displaythe page having a bookmark for longer than the pages without a bookmarkbefore removing or moving the page in a certain direction. If a page isset by a lock bar, although a bend event may not continue to bedetected, the controller 160 can retain the block width. The controller160 can display a bookmark symbol within the block width so that theuser can easily search for the page having the bookmark symbol. When theuser touches the bookmark, the controller 160 may control the displayunit 130 to immediately display the page having the bookmark symbol.

The controller 160 may also determine whether bend events havedirections differing from one another. For example, if the controller160 determines that a plurality of bend events have bend directionsdiffering from each other, the controller 160 may enlarge or reduce asize of content displayed in an area that is bent upwards or downwards,respectively, and may simultaneously reduce or enlarge a size of othercontent displayed in other areas that are bent downward or upward,respectively.

As shown, the flexible display device 100 and the data displaying methodthereof, according to exemplary embodiments of the invention, candisplay different contents according to the areas and angle of the bendon the display unit 130. Although the displayed contents are identicalto each other, the flexible display device 100 and the data displayingmethod thereof can display various contents in different displayingmodes so that the user can easily search for and view the contents.

As described above, the flexible display device 100 and the datadisplaying method thereof can generate input signals in various modes,and can display data based on the generated input signals.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made in the present inventionwithout departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it isintended that the present invention cover the modifications andvariations of this invention provided they come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A flexible display device, comprising: a displayunit configured to display a content; a touch sensor configured todetect a touch gesture comprising a touch and a drag; a bending sensorconfigured to detect a bending; and a controller configured to perform afunction corresponding to a combination of the touch gesture and thebending.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the bending comprises anasymmetrical bend of the display unit with respect to a center axis ofthe device.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the touch gesture and thebending are respectively detected at a different time and in a differentlocation of the display unit.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein thecombination of the touch gesture and the bending comprises the touchgesture as a first input and the bending as a second input.
 5. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein the display unit displays a portion of thecontent within a width with an interval between the contents in responseto detection of the bending, the interval between the contents beingdetermined according to the bending.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein,in response to the detection of the bending, the controller identifies alocation corresponding to the detected touch gesture, and wherein adistance from the location to an edge of the display unit is equivalentto the width.
 7. The device of claim 5, wherein the display unit adjustsand displays a size of the width according to the bending.
 8. The deviceof claim 5, wherein the display unit adjusts and displays the intervalaccording to the adjusted size of the width.
 9. The device of claim 1,wherein, while the bending is retained and movement of the touch gesturemoves toward the edge of the display unit is detected within the with,the controller moves the content released by the touch gesture in adirection and displays another content retaining the touch gesture. 10.The device of claim 1, wherein, when an increase of bending angleassociated with the bending is detected while the touch gesture isretained and the interval associated with the contents in the widthextends through a location at which the touch gesture is detected, thecontroller moves the content extended through the location in adirection and displays the another content retaining the touch gesture.11. The device of claim 1, wherein, when the touch gesture and thebending are detected adjacent to a corner of the display unit andmovement of the touch gesture toward the corner is detected, thecontroller moves the content released by the touch gesture in adirection and displays another content retaining the touch gesture. 12.The device of claim 1, wherein the display unit further comprises afirst display unit and a second display unit, the first and seconddisplay units being able to be connected to each other with respect to acertain axis of the device.
 13. The device of claim 1, wherein, when thesecond display unit is bent at a threshold angle, the controllerperforms a content turning function by moving the displayed content fromthe second display unit to the first display unit.
 14. The device ofclaim 1, wherein, if the touch is detected on the content being moved,the controller stops moving the content.
 15. A method, comprising:detecting a touch gesture on a display unit; displaying a content on thedisplay unit according to the detected touch gesture, the touch gesturecomprising a touch and a drag; detecting bending of the display unit;and performing a function corresponding to a combination of the touchgesture and the bending.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the bendingcomprises an asymmetrical bend of the display unit with respect to acenter axis of the device.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the touchgesture and the bending are respectively detected at a different timeand in a different location of the display unit.
 18. The method of claim15, wherein the combination of the touch gesture and the bendingcomprises the touch gesture as a first input and the bending as a secondinput.
 19. The method of claim 15, wherein displaying the contentcomprises displaying a portion of the content within a width with aninterval between the contents in response to detection of the bending,the interval between the contents being determined according to thebending.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein displaying the portion ofthe content comprises adjusting the size of the width according to thebending.
 21. The method of claim 19, wherein displaying the portion ofthe content comprises adjusting the interval according to the adjustedsized of the width.
 22. The method of claim 15, wherein displaying thecontent comprises: identifying, in response to the detection of thebending, a location corresponding to the detected touch gesture; andsetting a distance from the location to an edge of a display unit as thewidth.
 23. The method of claim 15, wherein displaying the contentcomprises moving, while the bending is retained and movement of thetouch gesture moves toward the edge of the display unit is detectedwithin the with, the content released by the touch gesture in adirection and displaying another content retaining the touch gesture.24. The method of claim 15, wherein displaying the content furthercomprises moving, when an increase of bending angle associated with thebending is detected while the touch gesture is retained and the intervalassociated with the contents in the width extends through a location atwhich the touch gesture is detected, the contents extended through thelocation in a direction and displaying the another content retaining thetouch gesture.
 25. The method of claim 15, wherein displaying thecontents comprises moving, when the touch gesture and the bending aredetected adjacent to a corner of the display unit and movement of thetouch gesture toward the corner is detected, the content released by thetouch gesture in a direction and displaying another content retainingthe touch gesture.
 26. The method of claim 15, further comprising:performing a content turning function by moving the displayed contentfrom a second display unit to a first display unit when the seconddisplay unit is bent at a threshold angle.
 27. The method of claim 15,wherein displaying the content comprises stopping moving the contentwhen the touch is detected on the content being moved.